The present invention relates to an improved web material dispenser for advancing a web material to an applicator, such as a tape applicator for applying a strip of tape to form a cutting edge, a reinforcing tape, a box sealer, and the like. The system utilizes splicing system for continually advancing tape to a feed roller which advances the web to a vacuum anvil roll where the web material is cut and advanced to a vacuum wheel applicator. In one aspect the invention relates to a web material delivery system capable of changing the length of the web material delivered to the applicator. The speed of the feed roll and the speed of the independently driven vacuum anvil roll and cutting roller are determined by a motor control and the position of the web material on the substrate is regulated by a programmable logic control and encoder set by an indicator triggered by the substrate. In another aspect the invention relates to a web material delivery system that provides web material continuously by splicing lengths of the web material to avoid interruption of the applicator operation.
The application of hot melt material to substrates to form laminates is not new. One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,660 (Forkert). In this patent, the pinch rollers advance the lamina toward two sensors. The substrate is sensed by a third sensor. When the sensors for the lamina, either 88 or 90 sense the lamina, the feed for the lamina stops and a scissor is actuated. The substrate is driven along a path toward the laminating rollers. After the scissors are actuated, rollers are actuated to advance the substrate. To make sure the substrate is not fed along the path too soon, the substrate is sensed by a third sensor. When the substrate is sensed, the lamina is conveyed and both the lamina and substrate are fed between the laminating rollers. Conventional control mechanisms, i.e., a microprocessor, are used to respond to sensor signals, actuate the scissors, and engage and disengage the clutch-controlled elements of the drive-train. The stopping and starting of the lamina and substrate render such a mechanism uneconomical for a hot melt feeder and carton laminator, which typically operate at 600 to 1000 feet per minute (182 meters to 305 meters per minute).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,510 (Wittrock et al.) discloses applying patches of reinforcement material to a web. The patch material is coated with a hot melt adhesive and is advanced to a phasing means, such as vacuum anvil roll 54, which provides a selected spatial segregation between the individual patches, and assembling means, such as a stomper roll, which adhesively secures the segregated patches onto selected spaced regions of the moving web layer. Indexing means such as a pull-back roll, selectively displace the coated substrate material from the knife roll when an assembly feed roll is disengaged from the substrate material. The knife roll, which cuts the patch material after it is on the anvil vacuum roll, acts in response to an indexing means, such as pull-back roll, which selectively displaces the coated patch material from the knife roll when an assembly feed roll is disengaged from the patch material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,327 (Asbury et al) discloses a splicing system for splicing the trailing end of one tape to the leading end of another. The first tape 12 is provided at its trailing end with a pin element 16. A second tape 18 is provided at its leading end with a loop element 22. When the pin engages the loop, the tapes become linked, causing the trailing end of the first tape to pull the leading end of the second tape into the machine. The patent family includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,768 and Canadian patent 1,280,097.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,699 (Weirauch et al.) discloses a tape with a splicing portion 1, 2 and an attachment portion 10″, 41. The tape has an attachment portion 10″, 41 for attaching the splicing portion 1, 2 and separating the splicing portion from the surface of the underlying layer. This patent is directed to a specific splicing tape for attaching the end of a roll of paper to an outer wrap on the roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,991 (Kubota et al.) discloses attaching a length of magnetic tape to a leader. The apparatus aligns ends of the tapes with the ends of the leaders extending from a cassette and splices the ends using vacuum holders for the ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,626 (Rossini et al) discloses a tape splicing machine that splices adhesive tape in a supply roll to the lead end of a subsequent roll. The tapes 24 and 26 are guided to the splicing station and between the splicing rollers 212, 252. When the supply tape nears the end and the microswitch is triggered to actuate the solenoid 230, the roller 212 is carried toward the roller 252 where the lead end of tape 44 is positioned to contact the supply tape 42. When the splice is made, the tape 42 makes contact with the tape 44 and the splice is made and the tape 42 is cut.